The digestive problems that parents say often accompany autism can make mealtimes and providing their children with adequate nutrients a challenge that often carries a high price tag.

But for Erin and Adam, parents of a 4-year-old with autism, the cost and time spent making specific foods for their son and their two other children, is well worth the expense. The Fall River area couple, who preferred not to use their last name in order to shine the spotlight on how their efforts may help other parents with autism, rather than their son, said following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet has made a huge difference.

The “tummy problems” as the parents described it, kept him from sleeping at night and the abdominal pains distracted him from learning. Their oldest daughter has a severe dairy allergy, so they were already in the habit of eating within specific dietary needs when they decided to try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet when their son was about 2. Allergy test results also showed that he was sensitive to about 17 different foods, including grains.

Erin said they found the Specific Carbohydrate Diet — a grain, lactose and sucrose-free diet developed originally for celiac disease — by researching autism online and speaking with other parents with autistic children.

“Almost immediately after starting it he started sleeping through the night. It took about a year for the gastro issues. Without the tummy issues he was able to learn better and he had less behavior issues,” she said.

The diet, similar to the Paleo Diet, said Adam, is based around fruits, veggies, eggs, meat and nuts. Wheat-based breads and pastas, rice, corn and potatoes aren’t allowed.

“This is what we had for dinner tonight. I call it dinosaur food,” said Erin of the kid-friendly way of describing roasted chicken legs.

The grain and dairy-free meals are served with salads and lots of veggies. Chili, homemade chicken nuggets breaded with nut flour, baked beans, and spaghetti squash with meatballs are other family favorites.

But that doesn’t mean the kids don’t get “bready” treats, and even pizza. To substitute for flour in baked goods, Erin said she uses a variety of nut flours such as hazelnut and almond, the most neutral.

Using donut-shaped and a variety of other kid-appealing molds (that look like a George Foreman grill), Erin whips up big batches of goodies such as donuts with hazelnut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs; banana bread cookies; and cinnamon muffins that she said taste like cinnamon buns. Dad even cooks up flourless pancakes (one egg combined with one mashed ripe banana) that he said cook up just like pancakes made with flour.

“We freeze them and label them and we have them ready to go,” said Erin.

“It’s a very healthy diet,” said Erin, adding she also buys organic produce, which adds more to the grocery bill that she estimates to be around $400 every other week at Whole Foods market, with additional costs from trips to the local store and nut flours purchased online.

For some parents of autistic children, such as Scott Sardinha, of Fall River, the challenges go beyond addressing gastrointestinal issues. After trying a gluten-free diet with his son for about a year, he said the family moved away from it after not getting the results they expected. “It also cost more than double. Instead of a 99-cent box of mac and cheese, it would cost $3.50 or more,” he said. “We didn’t get the results we wanted, but every child is different. I would recommend trying it.”

His son Andrew, who is just shy of age 6, also only eats specific foods in specific shapes for the most part. “The food has to be in the form of a grilled cheese and I have to cut off the crust,” he said, adding that he makes, “grilled cheese” sandwiches filled with a variety of foods such as scrambled eggs and pureed Dinty Moore beef stew.

Rosita Camarao, who recently moved from Fall River to Randolph, said she didn’t find success with her autistic son’s behavior issues with a gluten/milk/dairy-free diet. He’s also very limited in the textures and colors he will eat, adding to the challenge of providing him with sufficient nutrients. The only bread he’ll eat is Portuguese rolls from Modern Bakery in Fall River with butter. Meals also consist of a pureed soup that contains a variety of veggies, chicken and pasta or rice. “If I make it even slightly different, he clenches his lips and there’s no prying them open,” she said.

Feeding therapy with an occupational therapist at the Fernandes Center for Families and Children in Fall River helped with some of his sensory issues with food, she said.